Valve-governor



(No Model.)

H. F. HODGES.

VALVE GOVERNOR.

No. 329.041. Patented Oct. 27, 18815.

i UNITED STATES PATENT twice.

HORACE F. HODGES, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES F. PAYNE, OF GROVELAND,AND GEORGE H. SPENCER AND CHARLES T. CROCKER, OF

ITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE-GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,0Ll, dated October27, 1885.

Application filed June 28,1884. Serial No. 136,310. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE F. HODGES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, (Charlestowm) in the county of Sufiblk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement inValve-Governors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of governors whichare actuated by centrifugal forcej and it consists in the employment ofweights attached to the back of a beveled gear or a disk, said weightsbeing adapted to be forced away from the center of the gear or disk bycentrifugal force as the gear or disk is rotated. The said weights areattached by means of connecting-links to the Valve-rod of theengine,thus forming a togglejoint at their junction with the valve -rod,which latter,with its connected valve, may rotate with the gear or disk.WVhen the engine is at rest,or going at a low speed, the weights areheld toward the center by means of a spring acting upon thetoggle-joint, and as the speedincreasesthetoggle-linksbecomestraightened, thus contracting the springand causing the valve to close.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top or plan viewof a governor embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.Fig. 3 is a vertical section of Fig. 2, the dotted lines showing theposition of the links and weights when the valve is closed.

A represents a bevel-gear, or it may be a disk, upon which the governoris supported, and having an axis, A, adapted to revolve in a suitablebearing.

B is the valve-rod,which is to be connectedto a valve, and is madecylindrical, square, or polygonal in section, and fitted to slide in acorresponding bearing, A, in the center of the aXis A of the gear A.

Attached to the rod B, and forming a part of the same, are lugs or ears0 C, to each two of which are hinged or pivoted the links D D, radiatingfrom the center. The outer ends of the links D Dare hinged or pivoted toears e a, similar to ears 0 C on the weights E E, the said links thusforming a toggle-joint.

E E are weights or metal blocks,whioh rest on the back of the gear A,and are each provided with a groove on one side and with a lug or ear,F, on the opposite side.

G G are studs secured to the gear A, and on these studs are pivoted orhinged the linksH H, which latter are likewise hinged to ears F F ofweights E E.

I I are guides secured to the disk A, and are made with projectionswhich fit loosely in the grooves in the weights E E, as shown in Fig. 2,and are for the purpose of preventing the weights from leaving the backof gear A.

K is a coiled spring surrounding the valverod B, and bearing at one endagainst the stuffing-box L, and at its other end upon the ears 0 O, andserves by its action upon the togglejoint to draw the weights E E inwardwhen the engine is at rest or going at a low speed. The operation is asfollows: The gear A is to engage with a corresponding gear on the mainshaft of the engine from which it receives its motion. When the engineis at rest, or running below the desired speed, the parts are in theposition shown by the full lines in the drawings. As the speed increasesbeyond the desired rate the centrifugal force generated by the increasedspeed causes the weights E E to move away from the center, thusstraightening the toggle-joint links D D,as indicated by the dottedlines in Fig. 3, and forcing the valve-rod B inward, thereby closing thevalve and checking the speed of the engine. As the speed decreases thespring which has been compressed now expands and serves to overcome thecentrifugal force, and thus between the two actions a uniform speed ismaintained. I have shown and described four weights as connected withthe valve-rod; but only two,or any number in excess of two, may beemployed, subject to the condition of a proper distribution to insurethe required equilibrium. The 0 governor may also be attached to oneside of a disk in cases where the gear is not required to give it theproper revolution.

The weights E E may be maintained in position by means of lugs I I onboth sides, thus dispensing with the links H H if found desirable.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A valve-governor consisting ofaseries of weights supported upon a rotating disk and capable of aradial movement, each weight being connected by a single separate linkto a central valve-rod adapted to move longitudinally, so that the saidlinks will form a toggle-joint 'at their union with the valve-rod,substantially as specified.

2. In a valve-governor, a series of weights arranged radially upon arevolving disk and connected to a central valve-spindle by means oflinks which form toggle-joints at their j auction with the saidvalve-spindle, the said weights being maintainedin position by means ofj ointed arms, so as to allow them to move radially when the centrifugalforce exceeds the resistance ofa spring acting on the toggle-joints todraw the weights toward the valve-stem, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the disk A,the weights 20 E E, links D D, ears orlugs G G, e e, and F '13, links H H, studs G G, rod or spindle B, andspring K, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name 25 to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HORACE F. HODGES.

Witnesses:

J. H. ADAMS, E. PLANTA.

